Lived Experiences of Women Who are Long-Term Breast Cancer Survivors in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer (BrCa) survivors have increased globally with the continued improvement in cancer management. Despite  this, there are significant issues experienced by these women during BrCa treatment. It is therefore important to explore the unique  experiences of women who are long-term BrCa survivors.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of 22 women who  are long-term BrCa survivors in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Methodology: A phenomenological approach was used to carry out one-on-one  unstructured interviews with the participants, who were selected purposively using a snowball sampling technique. The interviews were  analysed using Nvivo 14 to identify themes and subthemes.

Result: The participants were 5 years or more, post-treatment for BrCa, with  an average age of 43 years at the time of diagnosis. Four themes emerged: (i) In the very beginning, (ii) Going through difficult times, (iii)  Becoming a survivor, and (iv) Living as a survivor. Sixteen subthemes were also identified. The participants had a self-identification  pattern as survivors, and an interpretation of their experiences which were influenced by a cascade of factors including spirituality, family  support, financial burden, counselling and  emotional support which differs from one participant to the other.

Conclusion: The  study highlights the unique experiences of long-term BrCa survivors and the challenges they face on their journey to survivorship. Early  diagnosis, inner strength, family support, faith, and quality treatment were identified as important factors in fighting cancer and reaching  survivorship. The findings have implications for nurses and other healthcare providers, who should acknowledge the distinct   experiences of these women to provide appropriate support and care.